Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
II. Nātha Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
II: Things Making for Warding
Sutta 14
Ceto-Khila Suttaṃ
Obstruction
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, in whatsoever monk or nun five mental obstructions[1]
are not abandoned
and five bondages of the heart
are not well rooted out,
in such an one
come night, come day,
decline, not growth,
in good states
may be looked for.
§
2. And in what sort[2]
are the five mental obstructions not abandoned?
Herein a monk has doubts and waverings about the Teacher.
He is not drawn to him,
he is not sure about him.
In a monk who so doubts and wavers,
who is not drawn to
and is not sure about the Teacher,
the mind of such an one inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him [14] whose mind inclines not [18] to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this first mental obstruction
is not abandoned.
■
3. Again, monks, a monk has doubts about dhamma.
He is not drawn to it,
he is not sure about it.
In a monk who so doubts and wavers,
who is not drawn to
and is not sure about the dhamma,
the mind of such an one inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this second mental obstruction
is not abandoned.
■
4. Again, monks, a monk has doubts about the order of monks.
He is not drawn to it,
he is not sure about it.
In a monk who so doubts and wavers,
who is not drawn to
and is not sure about the order of monks,
the mind of such an one inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this third mental obstruction
is not abandoned.
■
5. Again, monks, a monk has doubts about the training.
He is not drawn to it,
he is not sure about it.
In a monk who so doubts and wavers,
who is not drawn to
and is not sure about the training,
the mind of such an one inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this fourth mental obstruction
is not abandoned.
■
6. Again, monks, a monk is vexed with his co-mates in the brahma-life,
displeased,
troubled in mind,
come to a stop.
In a monk who is vexed with his co-mates in the brahma-life,
displeased,
troubled in mind,
come to a stop,
the mind of such an one inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this fifth mental obstruction
is not abandoned.
In this one the five mental obstructions
are not abandoned.
§
7. And in what sort
are the five bondages of the heart
not well rooted out?
Herein a monk is not dispassionate in things sensual;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
have not gone from him.
In a monk who is not dispassionate in things sensual;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
has not gone from him,
the mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this first bondage of the heart
is not well rooted out.
■
8. Again in body a monk is not dispassionate;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
have not gone from him.
In a monk who is not dispassionate in things bodily;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
not gone from him,
the mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this second bondage of the heart
is not well rooted out.
■
9. Again a monk is not dispassionate in the matter of objective form;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
have not gone from him.
In a monk who is not dispassionate in the matter of objective form;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
not gone from him,
the mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this third bondage of the heart
is not well rooted out.
■
10. Again, a monk, having eaten his bellyful[3]
lives given to the pleasure
of lying down on back or side,[4]
a prey to torpor.
In a monk who having eaten his bellyful
lives given to the pleasure
of lying down on back or side,
a prey to torpor,
the mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this fourth bondage of the heart
is not well rooted out.
■
11. Again, a monk, leads the brahma-life
with a view to join some order of devas,
with the thought:
"By virtue of this way of life
or practice
or austerity
or brahma-life
I shall become some deva or other."
Whatsoever monk leads the brahma-life
with a view to join some order of devas,
with the thought:
"By virtue of this way of life
or practice
or austerity
or brahma-life
I shall become some deva or other,"
his mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance and striving.
In him whose mind inclines not to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this fifth bondage of the heart
is not well rooted out.
In this one the five bondages of the heart
are not well rooted out.
§
12. Monks, in whatsoever monk or nun
these five mental obstructions
are not abandoned
and these five bondages of the heart
are not well rooted out,
in such an one,
come night, come day,
decline, not growth,
in good states may be looked for.
§
[15] Just as, monks, in the dark period of the moon,[5]
come night, come day,
it wanes in beauty,
wanes in roundness,
wanes in splendour,
wanes in the height and compass of its orbit -
even so in whatsoever monk or nun
these five mental obstructions
be not abandoned
or these five bondages of the heart
be not well rooted out,
in such,
come night, come day,
decline,
not growth,
in good states may be looked for.
■
But in whatsoever monk or nun
these five mental obstructions
are abandoned
and these five bondages of the heart
are well rooted out,
growth,
not decline,
in good states may be looked for.
§
13. And in what sort, monks, are the five mental obstructions abandoned?
Herein a monk has no doubts and waverings about the Teacher.
He is drawn to him,
he is sure about him.
In a monk who has no doubts and waverings,
who is drawn to
and is sure about the Teacher,
the mind of such an one inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this first mental obstruction
is abandoned.
■
14. Again, monks, a monk has no doubts and waverings about dhamma.
He is drawn to it,
he is sure about it.
In a monk who has no doubts and waverings,
who is drawn to
and is sure about the dhamma,
the mind of such an one inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this second mental obstruction
is abandoned.
■
15. Again, monks, a monk has no doubts and waverings about the order of monks.
He is drawn to it,
he is sure about it.
In a monk who has no doubts and waverings,
who is drawn to
and is sure about the order of monks,
the mind of such an one inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this third mental obstruction
is abandoned.
■
16. Again, monks, a monk has no doubts and waverings about the training.
[20]He is drawn to it,
he is sure about it.
In a monk who has no doubts and waverings,
who is drawn to
and is sure about the training,
the mind of such an one inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this fourth mental obstruction
is abandoned.
■
17. Again, monks, a monk is not vexed with his co-mates in the brahma-life,
but is pleased and untroubled in mind,
come to a stop.
In a monk who is not vexed with his co-mates in the brahma-life,
but is pleased and untroubled in mind,
the mind of such an one inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance,
to striving
this fifth mental obstruction
is abandoned.
In this one the five mental obstructions
are abandoned.
§
18. And in what sort, monks, are the five bondages of the heart well rooted out?
Herein a monk is dispassionate in things sensual;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
are gone from him.
In a monk who is dispassionate in things sensual;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
gone from him,
the mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this first bondage of the heart
is well rooted out.
■
19. Again in body a monk is dispassionate;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
are gone from him.
In a monk who is not dispassionate in things bodily;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
gone from him,
the mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this second bondage of the heart
is well rooted out.
■
20. Again a monk is dispassionate in the matter of objective form;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
are gone from him.
In a monk who is dispassionate in the matter of objective form;
desire,
affections,
thirsting,
distress
and craving
gone from him,
the mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this third bondage of the heart
is well rooted out.
■
21. Again, a monk, does not eat his bellyful
does not live given to the pleasure
of lying down on back or side,
a prey to torpor.
In a monk who does not eat his bellyful
who does not live given to the pleasure
of lying down on back or side,
a prey to torpor,
the mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this fourth bondage of the heart
is well rooted out.
■
22. Again, a monk, leads not the brahma-life
with a view to join some order of devas,
with the thought:
"By virtue of this way of life
or practice
or austerity
or brahma-life
I shall become some deva [16] or other."
Whatsoever monk leads not the brahma-life
with a view to join some order of devas,
with the thought:
"By virtue of this way of life
or practice
or austerity
or brahma-life
I shall become some deva or other,"
his mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
to perseverance and striving.
In him whose mind inclines to exertion,
to application,
perseverance
and striving,
this fifth bondage of the heart
is well rooted out.
In this one the five bondages of the heart
are well rooted out.
§
23. Monks, in whatsoever monk or nun
these five mental obstructions
are abandoned
and these five bondages of the heart
are well rooted out,
in such an one,
come night, come day,
growth,
not decline,
in good states may be looked for.
§
Just as in the bright period of the moon,
come night, come day,
it waxes in beauty,
waxes in roundness,
waxes in splendour,
waxes in the height and compass of its orbit,
even so
in whatsoever monk or nun
these five mental obstructions
are abandoned
and these five bondages of the heart
are well rooted out,
in such,
come night, come day,
growth,
not decline,
in good states may be looked for.'
[1] Ceto-khilā; cf. K.S. v, 45; G.S. iii, 182 (without similes). The sutta is at M. i, 101; Further Dialog, i, 71. Lord Chalmers trans. 'the fallows of his heart are left untilled.' In M. our first simile is lacking, while the last one is of the hen hatching eggs.
[2] Katamassa. M. i, ad loc., has katam assa throughout followed by imassa.
[3] Cf. A. iv, 343. [AN 8.86 Hare]
[4] Seyya-sukhaṃ passa-sukhaṃ; cf. G.S. ii, 249 on postures; where the 'luxurious' are said to lie on the side.
[5] Cf. S. ii, 106 = JLS. ii, 130; below, § 67.
